Tags
Algeria
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Crackdown on Unauthorized Sharia Police

Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang
Photo: Wikimedia / Kambai Akau (CC)The governor of Nigeria's Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has raised concerns about a group attempting to enforce Sharia law in the state without official authorization. In response, authorities have initiated measures to stop the group's activities.
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Christians Receive Differing Court Outcomes

Worshippers in Algeria.
Photo: Wikimedia / Mar Sharb (CC)The House of Refuge, a ministry located in the community of L'Ayaida (or "El Ayaida"), Oran province, serves as a haven and restoration centre for vulnerable women and their families. The facility formerly included a worship hall, which was shut down by authorities in 2019. Since that time, Christians have continued to meet for worship in apartments located on the premises.
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Sentence Upheld for Pastor Youssef Ourahmane

Pastor Youssef Ourahmane
Photo: Middle East ConcernPastor Youssef Ourahmane is a senior pastor and vice president of the Église Protestante d'Algérie (EPA). In March 2023, he was charged with organizing an unauthorized religious assembly and sentenced to two years in prison, along with a fine of 100,000 dinars (approximately $1,000 CAD). Following an appeal of the verdict, the pastor's conviction was upheld, but his sentence was reduced to one year in prison.
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Appeal Scheduled for Pastor Youssef Ourahmane

Pastor Youssef Ourahmane
Photo: Middle East ConcernPastor Youssef Ourahmane serves as the vice president of the Église Protestante d'Algérie (EPA). Following a three-day gathering with a few Christian families in March 2023, he was charged with organizing an unauthorized religious assembly. In September, the pastor was sentenced to two years in prison, along with a fine. During an appeal hearing in November, the court ruled to uphold the verdict, but reduced the Christian leader's sentence to one year.
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Church Leader Loses Appeal

Pastor Youssef Ourahmane
Photo: Middle East ConcernPastor Youssef Ourahmane is a senior pastor who oversees a number of churches and Bible schools in Algeria, in addition to serving as the vice president of the Église Protestante d'Algérie (EPA) – an association composed of more than 45 Protestant churches.
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Church Leader Convicted in Absentia

Pastor Youssef Ourahmane
Photo: Middle East ConcernPastor Youssef Ourahmane is the vice president of the Église Protestante d'Algérie (EPA), an association consisting of more than 45 Protestant churches. Along with this leadership role, he also serves as a senior pastor who oversees a number of churches and Bible schools.
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Christian Convert Receives Presidential Pardon

Algerian Christians are rejoicing over the release of Hamid Soudad, a Christian convert who was sentenced in March 2021 to five years in prison for blasphemy (read more). Hamid was among the 8,500-plus prisoners who were released or had their sentences decreased as part of the Algerian Independence Day celebrations on July 5th.
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Only Ten Churches Remaining Open

One of the many church closures in Algeria.
Photo: Morning Star NewsOver the past few years, numerous reports have surfaced from Algeria describing the forcible closure of church buildings and the detainment of various Christian leaders. In one instance, Pastor Salah Chalah and three other believers were charged in December 2021 with "practising non-Muslim rites without permission." To learn more about this incident, and/or to review previously published news reports, go to our country report.
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Another Church Ordered to Close

Photo: VOMC Christians in Algeria are requesting prayer for another church, this time in the city of Bejaia, as authorities continue their campaign to forcibly close places of worship. The church, which consists of more than 300 members, is a long-standing affiliate of the Église Protestante d'Algérie, an officially recognized umbrella organization for Protestant churches. On April 6th, the church was informed of an order from the governor to cease worship immediately.
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Another Church Threatened with Closure

Church closure document.
Photo: VOMC SourceChristians in Algeria are requesting prayer for leaders of a church in the village of Ait Atteli as they contend with legal action intended to enforce the closure of their place of worship. If the action is granted, this will be yet another one of the many churches affiliated with the officially recognized Protestant organization, the Église Protestante d'Algérie, forcibly closed by the authorities.
